1. EXPERIENCE AND PRELIMINARY FINDINGS IN HOUSTON YOUTHCOUNT! Catherine Troisi, Ph.D. University of Texas School of Public Health

2. WHERE WE LOOKED Done in conjunction with PIT Count Outreach to schools Street outreach (17) Covenant House (43) Ft Bend Women’s Shelter (4) Star of Hope (17) Hay Center (11) Salvation Army Social Services (18) Open Gate – Bering UMC – Youth Advocates (30) Montrose Grace Place (9) HAWC (2) Kinder Emergency Shelter (6)

3. WHAT WE FOUND SCHOOL DATA Limited information could be asked 616 valid interviews: 65% living with legal guardian (not homeless) Of the 218 not living with legal guardian: 6 were in a shelter 1 was unsheltered 3 had own apartment (ages 17, 18, and 19) 208 were doubled up

4. WHAT WE FOUND BASIC DEMOGRAPHICS 160 youth surveyed Unsheltered (19%) Sheltered (54%) Doubled up/precariously housed (28%) Ages 12-24 yrs; average of 20 Half were male Slightly over half were Black One-quarter were Hispanic

5. WHAT WE FOUND SEXUAL ORIENTATION 11 transgender 6 identified as boy/man 5 identified as girl/woman 1 in 5 identified as gay or bisexual

6. WHAT WE FOUND EDUCATIONAL/WORK STATUS 2 of 3 not currently enrolled in school 1 of 3 had not completed high school 3 of 4 did not work in the past week 1 in 3 had been in correctional system in past year

7. WHAT WE FOUND FAMILY STATUS 2 out of 5 had been in foster care Most common reason for leaving was aged out Last permanent home 123 Houston area 9 Texas, not Houston area 17 outside Texas 1 out of 3 youth had children; One-half of these lived with their child(ren) 14 out of 83 females (17%) currently pregnant

8. CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED Geographic area of Houston EMA Lack of youth shelters Would have been better to disconnect from PIT count Data from school districts of limited value Try snowball sampling next time